Your bass can make all the difference for any band; whether you’re playing funk, soul or jazz-fusion; getting familiar with its fingerboard can be challenging for beginners, though.
Before purchasing a bass, it’s recommended that you visit an actual store to play and try them out in person. There are various shapes and sizes of basses to consider.
Squier Affinity Jazz Bass
The Squier Affinity Jazz Bass is the ideal entry-level bass guitar for budding musicians. Boasting iconic Fender design and sound at an accessible price point, its sleek poplar body with C-shaped maple neck makes this bass easy to play for hours on end. Also equipped with two Squier single-coil Jazz Bass pickups to offer you endless tonal possibilities; be you an uptempo funkster or tight rocker this bass will help develop your skills over time!
This bass’s short scale length makes it an excellent choice for younger or smaller-handed players, helping to reduce back and arm fatigue that often plagues beginners, enabling more frets to be reached with less effort, while its streamlined body, lightweight hardware and vintage-style open-gear tuning machines add to its classic look.
At first, the choice between an acoustic and electric bass may seem daunting for beginner players. We recommend an electric bass because of the more customizable tone and style options it provides; you could even invest in one with an active pickup for modern sound! With time and practice, however, your playing abilities should improve quickly; just make sure that whatever instrument you end up choosing fits comfortably in your hand and feels like part of yourself!
Music Man String Ray Bass
Starting out, or even just wanting to venture below the open E string – whether for the first time, or simply dipping your toe in, is no excuse not to get your first bass guitar. Luckily there is still an array of fantastic choices out there that won’t break the bank – such as classic Jazz and Precision basses as well as innovative new designs offering fresh looks and sounds.
Consider what kind of music you enjoy playing before purchasing your bass. Rock, metal and other heavy styles tend to favor solid body basses while jazz or funk players may lean more toward semi-hollow body guitars.
Scale length can also be an important consideration when shopping for a bass. Shorter scale basses tend to be easier for beginning musicians as their necks require less stretching, plus smaller hands or arms may feel more at home with such instruments compared to long scale ones; consider something like the Sterling by Music Man Stingray Ray4 as it comes in various attractive colors!
Squier Classic Vibes Bass
Squier Classic Vibes Bass offers an ideal introduction to playing bass or an affordable way to practice, featuring a comfortable short scale length to make fretboard reach easier and reduce hand fatigue. Additionally, this guitar’s moderate C shaped maple neck and split single coil pickup provide an authentic vintage sound.
The body of a bass is the mainstay of its instrument, supporting many smaller parts such as its tuning pegs, bridge and pickups. It can be made out of materials like mahogany, ash rosewood or maple. Maple wood provides a particularly bright tone with great sustain while mahogany/ash combine warm deep tones with warm tones to produce balanced tones; rosewood weighs more but remains popular due to its balanced tones.
A bass guitar typically has four strings, though more advanced models may contain five or six. Beginners should start out on a standard four-string bass before upgrading as your skillset matures and your abilities expand. No matter which bass you choose, practicing regularly will build muscle memory and advance your abilities; bass playing requires understanding how each note fits together as part of an ensemble performance.
Fender Royal Blood Bass
Beginners need a bass guitar that’s lightweight, comfortable, and easy to play if they want to progress quickly. In addition, one that sounds great should also fit within their budget.
Mike Kerr of Royal Blood favors a Fender Bronco bass to create their signature sound. This model’s shorter scale length and wide-range bass pickups allow him to produce full and rich sounds from his instrument.
Your choice of bass guitar will ultimately depend on the music genre and style that speaks to you. Some genres, like rock, tend toward solid-body electric basses while other genres such as blues may feature semi-hollowbody guitars as part of their arsenal. No matter which style is calling out to you, make sure the instrument you purchase represents you well and feels like part of yourself!
Once again, when considering your bass amp setup and accessories such as an instrument case and extra strings. Furthermore, considering investing in bass effects pedals such as the Electro-Harmonix POG2 Polyphonic Octave Generator or ZVex Mastotron Series Fuzz Guitar Effects Pedal will allow you to experiment with different tones and textures as you fine-tune your setup.
Fender Primus Bass
An appropriate bass guitar can make or break a beginner’s interest in this instrument. Instead of opting for cheap off-brand basses, consider investing in one from a trusted manufacturer; not only will you save money in the long run but you will feel confident when playing your new bass, prompting more frequent practicing sessions and faster progress on bass lessons.
Fender Primus Bass electric basses are some of the most affordable and user-friendly bass instruments on the market, boasting solid bodies with dual single-coil Jazz Bass pickups for an easy playing experience. Their slim C-shaped maple neck and 20-fret Indian laurel fingerboard make playing this bass an enjoyable experience.
Beginners tend to start off on four string basses as these are easier for novices to learn on than five or six string instruments. Furthermore, four string basses also provide a more versatile tone than the higher-pitched tones of five string bass guitars; expert players who specialize in jazz music may prefer having access to six string notes available on six string basses.
As you practice bass playing, sore fingertips and an adjustment period to get used to its neck geography may occur. Selecting an instrument with comfortable handling can speed this process along and protect against fingers becoming sore for prolonged playing sessions – the Squier by Fender Bronco Bass offers short scale length perfect for kids or those with shorter arms so the fretboard remains within reach even as your skills develop further.
Ibanez SR-300
Ibanez SR-300 bass guitars are ideal for beginning players due to its many features that facilitate learning the instrument. The fretboard features a comfortable radius with white position markers to help beginners visually identify where they should place their fingers when learning how to play bass guitar. Furthermore, its deep cutaway allows easy access to higher frets on its neck.
This guitar comes equipped with passive P and Dynamix J pickups for producing an array of tones, suitable for rock players as well as R&B/Funk musicians alike. Furthermore, its EQ controls make the SR-300 an easy choice to fit your personal sound preferences.
Wood is an integral component of an electric bass’s sound. Harder woods will lend it a sharp and percussive sound while softer ones create a rich tone – like this Ibanez model featuring maple and jatoba necks with nyato bodies.
Finding an instrument that’s both comfortable and sounds great can make all the difference for new bassists. A quality instrument will encourage you to keep playing more and advance your technique over time, yet even great basses may sound discordant when out of tune, so invest in a quality tuner, such as GuitarTuna. Investing in such technology ensures your instrument remains perfectly in tune.